Light of Day
by Eduarda de Souza
Summary: As Renesmee and Jacob's relationship changes from friendship to romance, Jacob begins to lose control of his werewolf nature. As their destinies clash, a battle is ignited between what is good for Renesmee and what nature desires.
1. Chapter 1

**Light of Day**

A Twilight Fanfiction

Chapter 1: First Day as a 'Mortal'

**Light of Day**

A Twilight Fanfiction

Chapter 1: First Day as a 'Mortal'

I opened the window in my room at my parents' cottage. A breeze rushed inside eagerly, making my long curtains sway and billow out. I put on a fitted, light jacket and put a white binder full of new materials into a purple backpack. I tucked my cell phone into my pants pocket and gazed around my room for the bracelet that Jacob once gave me for Christmas. My room was decorated in creams and whites. It had my bed, a desk and a dresser where I kept my stereo. I kept things pretty simple. I didn't like clutter.

The orange, beaded bracelet was peaking out from under my embroided satin pillow. I grabbed it just as Jacob knocked on my open door. I quickly put the bracelet on. He stood at my door like a gentleman, never coming into my room unless I invited him in. He was the image of perfection in a black t-shirt and jeans. His glossy hair spiked and his russet skin smooth beneath his deep brown eyes. I felt my knees get weak.

"You ready to go?" Jacob asked me gently as I swung my backpack on. I nodded and followed him out the door. My mother was by the fireplace, flipping through a hardcover from her collection while my father stood behind her, commenting on her choice in novel.

"That book is awful, Bella. How can you keep reading it?" he asked, provoking mom into giving him a look. Dad hated _Romeo & Juliet_.

"Mom, Dad? I'm leaving now," I cheerily said. I went up to them and embraced both at the same time.

"Have a good day, Renesmee," my mother told me. Her eyes were two pools of yellow honey; casting a loving and overly careful glance over her only child. I kissed her cold and hard cheek. Dad kissed my forehead.

The day was sunny, a rarity in Forks. We walked through the bright green light the sun cast through the leaves of the towering trees. It was September and I had spent a majority of the summer begging my parents to let me attend school. Dad was more supportive than my mom, who insisted that our family could teach me everything that I needed to know. Thankfully, I was able to tag team with him and argue the perfectly logical reason that I should enjoy my current age. Although I was born seven years ago, I am forever 18-years-old. I simply wanted to be around other teenagers who weren't my parents.

Jacob and I got in the small car, and as the engine roared to life, I put on my seatbelt and felt the air conditioner come on full blast.

"Jacob, not all of us are space heaters," I grumbled as I turned down the chilled air. He shot me a smile so amazingly beautiful; I cracked and smiled myself. "I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous," I confessed in a quiet voice. We were already driving through the blur of green around us. I examined my arm against the car door; a faint shine radiated off my skin.

"I wish I could come with you," Jacob said with a hint of sadness.

"Me too, Jake," I replied. He stopped near the entrance of Forks high school. Students were hanging out by their cars in the parking lot. There were two guys passing around a football and many girls exchanging hugs with friends they hadn't seen all summer. The feeling of loneliness mixed with anxiety began to creep up in my insides. "I'll see you at 2:40?" I asked him anxiously, with my hand on the car door.

"Absolutely. I'll be here, Ness," he smiled reassuringly, tucking a tendril of my hair behind my ear. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. "Have a great day," he wished. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the cool car cab and resisted the urge to hop back in. He waited until I was inside the red double doors of the building before he sped off. I tried smiling to everyone who stared at me conspicuously to show that I was friendly and not as weird as I felt.

"Cullen? As in Dr. Carlisle Cullen?" asked the school secretary as she looked at my file. Her horn-rimmed glasses rested low on her bulbous nose and she peered at me as if trying to find the resemblance.

"I'm Edward Cullen's adopted daughter," I informed her nicely. My voice had an immediate effect on her. She blinked a couple of times before appearing a bit dazed.

"You look so much like your parents," she sweetly replied while printing out my schedule. "If I didn't know any better…" she drifted off with a shake of her head. "Here you go, sweetie," she handed the papers to me along with a map. "At the end of the day, bring this sheet back with your teachers' signatures, please," she told me with a polite smile. I nodded and smiled back at her.

I had an easy-going morning at school. Teachers were shocked when I told them that I was not directly related to the Cullens or to the Swans. This was a lie I had to make sure I kept up because I could never explain to them that my vampire father married a human and had me before she was turned into a vampire herself. It was easier this way.

I was proud of myself. I really liked school so far. In English class, we were reading Wuthering Heights, and I had read it before because it was my mom's favorite book. Honestly, I was a little more fearful for the social aspect of school than for classes. Lunch was next and I had no one to sit with. I felt a dull twist in my stomach as I thought about how much I missed Jacob Black. I shoved books into my gray locker and shut it, the noise clearing my mind.

"Hi!" greeted a boy with messy blonde hair who opened his locker next to mine. He wore a green shirt that matched his eyes and proceeded to put some books into his locker while smiling at me. "You must be Renee?"

"Renesmee," I corrected him. "You can call me Nessie, or Nesme," I offered.

He raised his eyebrows. "Like the Loch Ness Monster?"

"Yeah…"I laughed, slightly nervous for some reason. No one had really talked to me all day despite my friendliness. The boy reached out to shake my hand.

"Carey Hall," he introduced himself and I shook his hand.

"Like the hall?" I asked jokingly. He laughed and shut his locker.

"That was terrible."

"You still laughed," I pointed out and tried not to laugh.

"Want to eat lunch with me? I promise I'm not creepy or anything," he said as he walked and I easily caught up with him. Mom had reminded me that I shouldn't move too fast or be too eager because even though I was half-mortal, I still had the abilities of a vampire. I had to keep my speed in check and the whole "sharing memories through touch" thing was out of the question.

Since it was nice out, most students ate lunch outside. Carey stared at me as we immediately hit a patch of sunlight upon stepping out onto the field and my skin faintly sparkled. He smiled, clearly amazed, and shook his head.

"So Edward and Bella Cullen adopted you?" he asked me as we sat in an empty picnic table.

"That's right," I said, putting down my full tray of food. I was having human food today, which was much easier to get than deer and mountain lions, and much more conspicuous.

"Isn't that weird at all? They're like in their 20's, aren't they?"

"It's not weird," I whispered, taken aback. "I love them," I continued quietly. I felt awkwardly different for the first time all day. "How do you know my parents?"

"My dad, Dave Hall, he's a ranger for the Forks Forestry Department. He knows Dr. Carlisle," he said innocently. As if sensing my discomfort, Carey moved on from the conversation.

"Hey, how about we get a head start on Wilks' paper?" he asked, taking out his notebook, happily. Mr. Wilks was the only teacher that had assigned a paper on the first day. I agreed to Carey's plan and we spent the rest of lunchtime exchanging paper topic ideas on Wuthering Heights. From time to time, Carey would lean in to look at my paper and I tensed my jaw instinctively as the air carried the scent of his blood. I felt the blood pumping beneath the taut skin of his neck as he reached over, the external and internal jugular vein carrying the life force that could also satisfy my hunger. Despite the human food in front of me, the temptation of blood was something that made me a bit scatterbrained. I could turn off the desire by just eating my lunch, but my thoughts lingered on what Carey would taste like. My ears were ringing.

"Renesmee? Renesmee!"Carey called as he waved his hand in front of my face. I had been staring at his neck this whole time. "You okay?"

I gulped. I inhaled some cool air into my lungs, cleaning them, and smiled shyly.

"I'm good. Maybe a little overwhelmed by this paper!" I lied, surprised at my ability to cover up my blood-trance. I picked up my sandwich and took four consecutive bites, then I took a swig of juice to fill up my stomach. I didn't want to go the rest of the day having fantasies about biting my classmates' necks.

When the bell rang signaling for lunch to be over, I pulled out my schedule again to double check what I had next. When Carey peaked over my shoulder to look at what I had next, I held my breath cautiously. Now I knew that his neck smelled delectable, I'd have to keep my breathing in check.

"Hey! I have history class with Simons, too!"

"Great!"

I was perfectly content with not being alone for the rest of the day. History was next after lunch and it was in building C. I went up to Mr. Simons so that he could sign my first day attendance paper.

"Renesmee Cullen," I introduced myself politely, and when Mr. Simons shook my hand, I made a conscious effort to not think about the little veins in his wrist because they were the kind I imagined would burst deliciously like crackle. _Stop it, Renesmee._ I cleared my throat.

"I go by Ness," I corrected him. I hope that I didn't sound too arrogant.

"Any relations to Edward Cullen?"

"Yes, that's my father."

Mr. Simons gave me a look that read as him calculating the years between when my father attended Forks high and my current "age".

"I'm adopted," I added to relieve him of the mental math that would never make sense.

"Alright, Ms. Cullen. Go ahead and take a seat," he told me, and I found that Carey had saved my seat.

As I walked out to Jacob's car after school, I waved goodbye to Carey. He walked with his group of friends, a dark-haired girl named Beth and a brawny guy named John. They had all helped me throughout the day with finding the rest of my classes and they introduced me to other students. I was so thankful I had made friends. I smiled to myself as I practically skipped to Jacob.

He was leaning against his car and smiling widely upon seeing me. The tug at my heart began, and I felt the intense pull of our gravity towards each other. I hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek, looking up into his caramel eyes. His lashes framed the two glittering orbs and the intensity of his gaze began making our surroundings blur. I began feelings things I shouldn't be feeling.

"Hey beautiful," he whispered. I felt his body temperature pierce through my clothing and my heart beat faster than usual. And _that_ was saying something.

"I made friends!" I announced, immediately realizing how lame I sounded.

He chuckled. "Of course you did, Ness. You're wonderful," he breathed in my ear. I felt my cheeks get hot. And I took a step back. I forgot people were in the parking lot with us and I could feel their eyes on us. He sensed my embarrassment and with a chuckle, he opened the door for me. I got inside, promptly turning down the frigid air conditioner, again. Forks seemed a little more cheerful today with the sun out, and the woods were thick with lush foliage, which made Jacob happy. I was eager to tell my family about my experience at the very high school they had attended a couple of years ago. It was surreal for me to think about it.

Jacob pulled up into the Cullen driveway, and my grandparents' house peaked out magnificently from behind the branches of ancient Western Hemlocks. The glass structure shined in the light of the visiting sun. The car was overly warm with the air turned down. Jacob radiated warmth that felt like it could melt the inside of the car. I told him about Carey and his friends, about classes and lunchtime. He was so easy to talk to.

"Who exactly is this 'Carey' guy?" Jacob asked with his eyebrow cocked up. My enthusiasm over making new friends was being translated into something completely different.

"Carey Hall. I think his dad is a ranger for the Forks Forestry Department. He's a nice guy," I eyed Jacob as I spoke to him. "I don't have a crush on him, if that's what you're thinking," I added. My cheeks immediately signaled my embarrassment again. It was a trait I got from my mother when she was human.

"I love it when you blush," Jacob whispered. I gulped. His finger stroked my overheated cheek.

"Jacob…" I breathed. My eyes were wide.

He stared into my eyes sweetly before letting his hand fall.

"I'm happy you had a good first day of school, " he said after what sounded like a defeated sigh. I smiled, quietly thankful that he understood that I wasn't ready for all of the emotions that came with his touch.

He then looked confused as his body shook uncontrollably, sending a flare of goose bumps on his arms. His eyes then shut as he gripped at the steering wheel with fierce determination.

"Ness, get out of the car!" he ordered through gritted teeth. His tone scared me. I fumbled with the car door as I undid my seatbelt. The car was hotter than ever. I opened the door, leaped out as fast as I could and slammed the door. I stared into the car through the side window, watching as he controlled his breathing with eyes still firmly shut in utter concentration. Was Jacob mad at me? Why else would he suddenly shift?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I stood motionless outside my best friend's car as he shook violently for what seemed like an eternity. I stared at him as if my presence could ease his pain; and with that selfish thought, I watched him get out of the car.

"Renesmee, get out of here!" he screamed at me. I was frozen, starring at him grab at his car so hard that the metal bent under his fingers. He was fighting the shift and as he walked towards me. He bent over the hood of his car in pain. Jacob let out a low and menacing growl as he stared up at me slowly. His gaze was cold and angry. He had never growled at me before, even in his wolf form. Instinctively, I took a couple of steps back in fear, gripping at the single backpack strap on my shoulder, staring into his eyes, searching for the Jacob I knew.

"Jacob! Jacob, stop it!" my voice caught in my throat and came out choppy. Tears began to fog my vision. As I stepped back, he moved forward. He was still breathing deeply as he crouched over his car. Another convulsion.

My body finally decided that it was time to run, and I somehow managed to get to the door. It only took a couple of seconds. I searched my bag for my keys, hearing Jacob rip out of his skin like it had been a mere costume hiding his true form. The noise seemed deafening but his snarling was what scared me into a scream. I was once again frozen by my concern for Jacob and my fear of him, bundled up into a dull and twisting weight at the bottom of my stomach. My father and mother, out of nowhere it seemed, were suddenly between the two of us in a protective stance. They hissed at Jacob, who was about 5 feet away at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the house. He was twisting his head in a strange figure 8, something I've never seen before.

He whined and pawed at his face, as if trying to wipe away his thoughts.

"Jacob, go!" my mother demanded fiercely, her arms still stretched outwards to protect me. I stared in horror the entire time, not wanting him to leave but fearing this strange side of him. He snapped his sharp teeth several times, snarling and licking at his muzzle before whirling around and disappearing into the darkening woods.

Despite the fact that Jake had left, I couldn't get around my parents. They were locked in front of me as I stood in the doorway, with the door partially open and a slew of vampires behind me. Aunt Alice and uncle Jasper, aunt Rose and uncle Emmett, Esme and Carlisle were all there.

I wanted to run after Jacob to apologize. I wanted to hug him and cry into his shoulder. I felt sick to my stomach. My father motioned me to come inside with his cold hand on my back. I kept staring at the spot between the trees where Jacob had run off through, hoping he would return. It didn't occur to me that I was being herded inside.

"I guess this would be a bad time to ask how your first day of school was," Emmett said, and aunt Rose shot him a disapproving look. The whole family was at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at me as if waiting for an explanation. I walked upstairs, feeling my sick stomach trying to lurch out of my mouth, only to have my father call out below me.

"He wanted to kill you," his voice was sharp and cold. My mother's hand found my dad's shoulder.

"He wouldn't hurt me, dad," I contested angrily. _How could he think this way?_

"Werewolves are unpredictable, Renesmee," added my mother.

"I don't care. Jake's not. He was just…" I couldn't finish. The realization that I had no idea what could have possibly made him upset enough to shift was crushing. I began to think of all the ways I could have upset him in the car. My mind started creating scenarios where my pitiful crush on him pissed him off. Embarrassment began to flood my cheeks with color, adding to my nausea. I gripped at the railing.

"You are to stay away from Jacob Black, Renesmee," my father quietly ordered. I looked at him with indignation, angered by his commandment and by my own stupidity. I turned on my heels and stomped upstairs to my father's old room. As it had been my first day of high school, I played the teenager card and slammed my door as hard as I possibly could, making part of the wood crack in the upper hinge.

I pulled out my cell phone and shakily dialed Jacob's number. I never remembered to add it to my contacts. The phone rang and rang but no answer. I threw the phone at a chair in the corner of the room before dropping onto the divan. It was raining outside. The day had gone from a beautiful and bright sunny day to a dreary and chilly afternoon so fast. I decided to listen to some music and get my mind off of things by writing in my paper for class.

I stayed at my grandparents' house that night. I was too upset by my parents to go back home. Esme gently tapped at the door from time to time to ask if I wanted to have dinner or if I wanted to talk. Fridges that were never used before were now stocked. Esme had even taken up cooking and remembered all of my human eating times. I ignored all of them for the night, not wanting any company and just drowning myself in homework that wasn't due for weeks, instead. I laid on my stomach on the floor with all of my books scattered in a semi-circle around me. The large glass walls of the bedroom displayed the bright, silver moon in the navy sky peaking in and out of the tops of pine trees in the distance. I stared out at them, feeling as if I could hear Jacob's howling from time to time.

Suddenly, my phone rang in my pocket, making me jump. I answered it quickly before the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Ness! I'm so sorry," begged Jacob on the line. His voice was heavy with shame.

"Jacob! Jacob, I'm so glad you called." It was so wonderful hearing his voice. At that instance, I didn't care if he had tried to attack me. I was just happy to hear his voice.

"I don't know what happened, Ness," he confessed. "One minute, I was fine and the next, I wanted—" He stopped himself. I could hear him heave a sigh. I wanted more than ever to reach through the phone and hug him. I missed him. I missed his warmth and how safe everything felt when he had his arms around me.

"I know you wouldn't hurt me, Jacob," I responded with total confidence.

"But that's the thing Ness! I would never ever hurt you, but at that moment, it wasn't up to me…I lost control. I wasn't even mad!" The tone of his voice shifted from frustrated to confused. "I wanted so badly, to… to r-rip you apart," he growled through his teeth.

I sat up on the floor and brought my knees up to rest my chin on them. I hugged my legs until my stomach hurt from the squeeze.

"I'm coming to see you," I said stubbornly. My frustration was building in my chest. I couldn't believe what he was saying.

"No."

"Yes! I need to see you. This was just a-a mistake. I probably made you upset," I said, my voice small.

"You didn't make me mad, Renesmee. That's what's scaring me."

I ignored his protest. "Listen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so uncomfortable around you. I know that you don't want a little kid like me doting on you…"

He laughed over the phone, throwing me off guard. I felt my cheeks get hot. Again. _Great._

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen," he breathed and as he spoke my name slowly, I could feel him smiling through the phone. "You're uncomfortable around me? Why?" His voice was soft and caring. I was glad he wasn't here at this very moment because my entire face was tomato red.

"Because…" I started. "Because, well, c'mon! You're- I mean…" I sounded like an idiot. My heartbeat was fluttering and my breathing became somewhat independent of my control. He snickered over the phone. "Stop laughing at me!" I snapped. He went quiet.

"I think things between us are changing, " I admitted.

"For the better?'

"I mean, I think so."

"Does that scare you?" he quickly asked. His voice was making me melt and he wasn't even in the room.

"No," I said honestly. "What scares me is that you won't feel the same way."

"I don't think you understand how much I care about you, Ness," he told me in a warm, velvety admission and my insides suddenly turned into mush.

"Why do I feel this way?" I asked aloud unintentionally. He hesitated for what seemed to be hours.

"Because, Renesmee…We're _meant_ to be together," his said in a husky voice. I breathed out. I was unaware that I had been holding my breath whenever there was a quiet moment between us. "Don't you feel the pull we have on one another?"

"Yes."

I gulped. I felt it even when he wasn't around. The constant ache that I should be near him, that he should be in my eyesight and that I should be in his.

"It's the imprinting."

I got up from the floor and started putting on my coat while I balanced my cell between my shoulder and my ear. I wouldn't tell him that I was coming to see him. He would try to talk me out of it.

"Jake, I have to get off the phone," I lied.

"Okay, Ness," he said sadly. "Edward said I couldn't take you to school tomorrow." My parents had called him. I wonder what that phone call had been like.

"I'll see you soon, Jake," I said before hanging up, not giving him any time to protest.

I zipped up my coat and quickly went down the stairs, passing the empty living room. It was so quiet that all I heard was the fire crackling in the fireplace.

"Renesmee, where are you going?" asked my mother as she blocked me from going down another flight of stairs.

"I'm going out," I said. My mother's hair was framing her face. The moonlight was shining in through the foyer windowpane, illuminating her pale complexion. Her skin faintly sparkled a silver so magnificent that it made the moon look gray in comparison. Her eyes were suspicious.

"Out _where_?"

"Mom. I'm going to Jake's. Please don't tell dad?" I whispered to her with pleading eyes. Her mind wasn't penetrable to dad's mind reading ability. I held her hands and her frozen fingers wrapped around my hand gently. "I have to see him. He probably feels terrible about what happened. Please!"

She thought about it for a minute and I watched her expression change.

"Okay," she finally agreed, and her eyes went soft as she tucked my hair behind my ear lovingly. Mom had been best friends with Jacob and something told me she understood exactly what was happening. I smiled thankfully, not questioning her alliance, before leaping down the last flight of steps. I grabbed the car keys off the hook near the front door and found my way to the garage.

I took uncle Emmett's jeep, knowing it could handle the potholes that were everywhere on the street that led to Jacob's house on the reservation. My driving was mediocre and I didn't even have my license. If grandpa Charlie, or should I say 'Chief Swan', knew…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The weather had cleared up some since this afternoon, but it was still drizzling and I had the windshield wipers going on low. I drove north on US-101 towards the Quileute Indian reservation in Uncle Emmett's Jeep. The seat was set too low and I felt extra short behind the wheel. I also felt oddly satisfied with my defiance and my ability to handle driving the Jeep, as I had only practiced driving in dad's Volvo. To be fair, I wasn't as terrible at driving as I had thought. Of course, there were not many cars out once I turned onto La Push Road, which led directly up to Billy Black's red-roofed cabin. I hit a couple of small potholes but I managed to avoid the worst ones. The most recent rain had turned the area pretty muddy, so the potholes caused some serious splashes on the Jeep. I had to remember to thank Uncle Emmett later…after I apologized for taking his car without permission.

Before I even got a chance to park, Jacob came running out at the sound of the engine and he waited until I shut off the engine. Butterflies once again decided to cause a ruckus in my belly. I jumped out and immediately wrapped my arms around his neck. He lifted me up off the ground by my waist. I pressed myself against him as tight as I could.

"Ness, you shouldn't be here," he said disapprovingly, putting me down back down.

"But I am, so…"

I was on a defiant streak.

"I really don't want a repeat of this morning," he urged quietly.

"Fine," I shrugged. "I'll leave then." I turned around to go back to the Jeep. He quickly grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

"Wait…how did you convince your parents to let you come here anyway?"

"Mom knows I'm here," I informed him. We were standing near his makeshift shed as the rain continued to fall on us.

"And she let you come?" he specifically asked with both eyebrows up in shock. I smiled at him mischievously.

"I have my ways," I said in mock darkness, twisting a faux evil mustache on my upper lip. He laughed and I smiled. His sudden happiness melted away any speck of worry I had in my head, and I was reinvigorated with the thought of spending time alone with him.

"I still think this is a bad idea," he shook his head, taking my hands into his and rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.

"Well, then it's a bad idea. I'm still not going home," I retorted, ignoring his sense of impending doom and smiling excitedly at him. His black hair was beginning to get matted to his forehead because of the rain. Tiny beads of water gathered on his eyelashes.

Jacob shook his head again, letting out a resigned sigh. He began walking towards his shed and pulling me along.

"Where are we going?"

"Just trust me," he replied. Once we were under the cover of his shed, he went over to the corner of the messy room, which was covered in car parts and tools I couldn't name. He picked up a single black helmet off of a nail on the wall and walked back over to me. The shed was cold and humid. I felt, again, the incredible rush of being alone with him in a secluded location. He tucked my hair behind my ears before gently placing the helmet over my head. His hands grazed my neck in a way that sent chills down my back.

"Are _you_ going to wear one?" I grumbled. He got on his bike without answering my question and motioned me to get on with him. He looked so good on a motorcycle. I didn't think twice before jumping on.

I sat behind him on the black bike and wrapped my arms around his waist. I wanted to lay my head on his back but the helmet kept the sides of my face awkwardly suspended. He kicked the engine to life, releasing the throttle slowly. Jacob kept his feet on the ground until the humming bike was safely out of the shed, then he brought his feet up onto the pedals as we whirred forward.

Whenever we hit a curve or a turn, I squeezed Jacob tighter.

"You okay?" he asked loudly over the sound of the engine.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" I yelled back.

We sped down the curve of La Push Road until the waves wafted the scent of brine onto our faces. I hugged Jacob around the waist tighter as he twisted the bike around in a parking lot, going slower until we came to a stop. He placed his feet on both sides of the bike to balance us, allowing me to get off.

I took off the helmet and felt the breeze blow on the strands of hair that had gotten stuck to my forehead, soothing the itch that I felt. It was no longer raining. Jake cut off the engine after I jumped off, put down the step and grabbed my hand. His warm skin was in sharp contrast to the chilly gusts of wind that would come in from the sea.

He took me down the rocky cliffs along the sandbank. I gracefully climbed down the rocks but lost my footing once or twice. I shot him angry glances whenever he laughed at me. Jacob pointed out his favorite swimming spots on the beach, and told me stories about the pack's many soccer games.

"You should come sometime." "Come see the master at play," he added smugly. I scoffed at him.

"I bet I could beat you."

"We'll see…"

We walked along the beach, joking around and talking. We walked until we stopped before a giant driftwood tree trunk. It was white and ghostly; a memory of flourishing green Western Hemlock, lonely and slowly digressing into the ocean.

"Wow…" I gasped, pressing my free palm against the roughness of the bark. The trunk's girth was nearly my height in size. The spider-like roots faced the sea, with most of it under the water. The roots bent and groaned in the wavering shore.

"You want to climb it?" Jake asked and I immediately nodded. I quickly scaled the tree and found a root to sit against. Jake followed and sat across from me on the trunk. He smiled at me warmly, entertained by my awed expression.

"How _old_ is this thing?" I asked, sliding my hand along the most twisted root that reached for the sky. It was smooth under my touch.

"The tree itself is over 200 years old."

"And it's just here? How did it get here, anyways?"

"It used to belong on one of those sea stacks," he said, pointing to the gigantic boulders that shot out of the ocean throughout the horizon. I had to turn my body a bit to look at them. They had grass and trees on them, like independent little islands that happened to be very tall.

"Poor tree," I said, imagining it just toppling over and into the ocean.

"It appreciates your condolences," Jacob teased. I pushed his shoulder in retaliation.

"Har har."

Jacob stared at me for a while, as if thinking very hard about something. He came a little closer to me and grabbed my hand.

"Ness?"

"Hmm?" I asked, absentmindedly, thinking about the beach and its magical sea stacks.

"Did I ever tell you about Sam and Emily?" asked quietly. "As in, how she got hurt?"

I shook my head no. I had met Emily before but I had never really thought about her scar and how she might have gotten hurt. I thought about the three claw marks that split her pretty face and tugged at her smile and her eye.

"When Emily and Sam met, Sam was just starting to shift into a werewolf. He was the single wolf in the tribe; prompted to shift because of the return of the Cullen's to Forks," he stopped to gage my reaction to speaking about my family. I nodded slowly as to motion him to keep going. "Sam and Emily were inseparable. They were with each other every second of the day. They got married after no more than a month of meeting. One day, dad and I went over to their house for dinner along with some other tribe elders. Sam and Emily got into a huge argument in the kitchen. I was only 9, but I remember spying in on the two from the corner of the kitchen door."

Jacob's face looked all scrunched up; he was deep in his memory. He was staring at my eyes with such intensity that my insides twisted uncomfortably.

"Then what happened?"

"Sam got really close to Emily, like he was going to scream in her face, and he just… shook all over with rage. I'd never seen him look so angry before. I was so scared of him, I couldn't move. I just watched him change from Emily's protector to her aggressor in seconds."

"Did you see him turn into a wolf?" I asked quietly, caressing the back of Jacob's hand with my own.

"No. Billy pulled me away before I could see Sam shift," he said. "Billy was still walking at that time," he continued, as if he read my mind.

I then imagined the horror scene being played in Sam's wolf mind and broadcast to his pack brothers. I felt Sam's shame just thinking about it.

"Billy had Sue hold me back while he dealt with the two. By that time, Sam had already exploded into a wolf and ripped Emily's face so badly, Billy didn't think she'd even make it to the hospital."

He turned a pasty green color. His eyes closed as he took in a deep breath.

"Billy ended up taking Emily to the hospital because Sam just couldn't cope with himself and what he had done. Sam essentially thought he needed to stay far away from Emily so he'd never hurt her again."

A realization dawned on me.

"Jacob, stop it. You're not Sam," I blurted out. "And besides, I'm stronger than Emily. She's human and I'm not…well, technically."

He leaned in and held my face in his hands, staring at me with his forehead close to mine. He sighed. His breath was on my face, warm and inviting. I blinked, in a daze, wanting nothing more that for him to lean in a bit closer.

His forehead was hot against mine. His eyes scanned my eyes for approval and they scanned my lips for longing. He rubbed my cheeks with his thumbs and I couldn't tell if I was hot from blushing or from being held by him. I smelled his sweet and sour blood pumping gracefully to different parts of his body, tempting my heart rather than my appetite. My stomach was expanding with fluttering butterflies, and my faster-than-human heartbeat somehow managed to speed up more. My lips had never been this close to his. Everything around us could have disappeared; this driftwood tree could have floated out to sea. I would not notice it…because of him.

My ringtone went off loudly the pocket of my jacket. It broke our concentration, and made us both jump. I cursed. _Why did I bring this thing?_

I fished it out and answered it before the last ring.

"Hello?"

"Renesmee. It's 11:45 pm," my father spoke quietly and I could only imagine the tension in his jaw. He was bound to find out I was with Jacob.

"I'll be home soon, dad."

"Come home, now." He hung up the phone.

"We have to leave?" asked Jacob, dismayed.

"Dad knows I'm with you," I explained.

"I thought you said you were allowed to come see me."

"I said my mom let me come. I never said my dad did…."


End file.
